Three-dimensional printer and manufacturing method thereof
A three-dimensional printer includes a projector, a tank, and a platform. The projector includes a light source, a digital micromirror device, and a controller. The digital micromirror device includes a micromirror, and the micromirror may be switched between an on state and an off state according to a control signal. The controller is electrically connected to the digital micromirror device and the light source. The controller further includes a judgement unit. The judgement unit may output the control signal to switch the micromirror to the off state when the light source is in the off state. The platform is adjacent to the tank. In addition, a manufacturing method for a three-dimensional printer is provided.
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This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 109107951, filed on Mar. 11, 2020. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
BACKGROUND Technical FieldThe disclosure relates to a three-dimensional printer and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a digital light processing three-dimensional printer and a manufacturing method thereof.
Description of Related ArtConventional three-dimensional printers usually adopt a projection device to emit a light beam to irradiate photosensitive resin for a period of time, and the photosensitive resin is cured on the printing platform due to the irradiation of the light beam, thereby forming one of the layers of the workpiece. However, in a projection device adopting the technology of digital light processing (DLP), usually a digital micromirror device is disposed internally. Often, each of the pixels of the digital micromirror device includes a tiny micromirror, and each of the micromirrors has three rotation positions. One position is a micromirror in an on state that may reflect light to the projection lens, another position is a micromirror in an off state that refracts the light from the projection lens, and the last is a micromirror in the flat state. The micromirror controls the switch among the three states through a hinge to project light along a predetermined direction.
However, when the projection device projects a fixed image for a long time, the hinge of the micromirror remains in the same state for a long time, and the micromirror faces a same direction in the same position. The memory effect of the hinge results in white spots or dead spots on the screen, leading to poor printing quality of the three-dimensional printer and the short lifespan of the digital micromirror device.
SUMMARYThe disclosure provides a three-dimensional printer, which has good printing quality and reliability.
The disclosure provides a manufacturing method for a three-dimensional printer, which is adapted to produce the three-dimensional printer.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, a three-dimensional printer is disposed and it includes a projector, a tank, and a platform. The projector includes a light source, a digital micromirror device, and a controller. The digital micromirror device is disposed in a light path downstream of the light source. The digital micromirror device includes a micromirror, and the micromirror may be switched between an on state and an off state according to a control signal. The controller is electrically connected to the digital micromirror device and the light source, and the controller further includes a judgement unit. The judgement unit may output the control signal to switch the micromirror of the digital micromirror unit to the off state when the light source is in the off state. The tank is disposed in a light path downstream of the projector. The platform is disposed adjacent to the tank.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, a three-dimensional printer is disposed and it includes an ultraviolet light source, a digital micromirror device, a tank, a platform, and a controller. The digital micromirror device is disposed in a light path downstream of the ultraviolet light source. The digital micromirror device includes a micromirror. The tank is disposed in a light path downstream of the digital micromirror device. The platform is disposed adjacent to the tank. The controller is electrically connected to the digital micromirror device and the ultraviolet light source. The controller includes a judgement unit. When the ultraviolet light source is turned off, the judgement unit may switch an on/off state of the micromirror.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, a manufacturing method for a three-dimensional printer includes the following steps. A projector is disposed, and the projector includes a light source, a digital micromirror device, and a controller. The digital micromirror device is disposed in a light path downstream of the light source, and the digital micromirror device includes a micromirror. The micromirror may be switched between an on state and an off state according to a control signal. The controller is electrically connected to the digital micromirror device and the light source. The controller includes a judgement unit, which may output the control signal to switch the micromirror of the digital micromirror device to the off state when the light source is in the off state. A tank is disposed in a light path downstream of the projector. A platform is disposed adjacent to the tank.
Based on the above, in the three-dimensional printer in the embodiments of the disclosure, when the light source is turned off, the on/off state of the micromirror is adjusted so that the ratio of the time when the micromirror is in the on state to the time when the micromirror is in the off state tends to be same. The three-dimensional printer in the embodiments of the disclosure may have good manufacturing quality and good reliability. In addition, the embodiments of the disclosure further provide a manufacturing method for the three-dimensional printer.
Referring to
The light source 112 is a light-emitting element that may emit an illuminating beam IB. The light-emitting element includes, for example, a light-emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD), or other suitable light-emitting elements. The wavelength range of the light provided by the light-emitting element needs to be matched with the photocurable material 10. In the embodiment, the light source 112 is an ultraviolet light source, and the projector 110 is an ultraviolet DLP projector.
Referring to
Referring to
The projection lens 116 is a combination of one or more optical lenses with diopter, for example. The tank 120 is an accommodating tank, for example. In the embodiment, a transparent bottom 122 is disposed in the tank 120 to allow light beams to pass through. However, the material of the tank 120 is not limited to glass, which may also include molecular materials with a high transmittance, such as resin or plastics.
The controller 118 may be a calculator, a micro controller unit (MCU), or a central processing unit (CPU), or other programmable microprocessors, a digital signal processor (DSP), programmable controllers, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other similar devices.
The platform 130 may move in a vertical direction away from or close to the bottom 122 of the tank 120. The workpiece OB is formed after the photocurable material 10 is cured by light, and the workpiece OB may be formed on the platform 130 layer by layer.
In the embodiment, the controller 118 is electrically connected to the digital micromirror device 114 and the light source 112. In addition, the controller 118 has unit modules that perform different functions. Specifically, the controller 118 includes the recording unit 118a, the judgement unit 118b, and the data unit 118c. The recording unit 118a records the on/off state of the micromirror M. The judgement unit 118b switches the on/off state of the micromirror M according to a specific situation. The judging criteria that the judgement unit 118b adopts are illustrated in detail in the following paragraphs. The data unit 118c stores the design data of the 3D model.
In the following paragraphs, the configuration relationships among the elements are illustrated in detail.
Referring to
Refer to
Refer to
In the first timing T1 (i.e., from t1 seconds to t2 seconds), the three-dimensional printer 100 is turned on, and the light source 112 and the digital micromirror device 114 are turned on to print the workpiece OB. Therefore, the first timing T1 may also be called the print timing. In detail, in the first timing T1, the light source 112 emits the illuminating beam IB, which is then transmitted to the digital micromirror device 114, and meanwhile the controller 118 sends a control signal G to the digital micromirror device 114 according to the 3D design data stored in the data unit 118c to determine where the positions of the micromirrors M are. Some of the micromirrors M may be in the on state, and some may be in the off state. In
In the second timing T2 (i.e., from t2 seconds to t3 seconds), the three-dimensional printer 100 is also turned on. After the cross-sectional layer SL is formed, the light source 112 is now turned off, and the platform 130 may move in a direction approaching to or away from the tank 120 (i.e., the platform 130 is in a moving state), so that the platform 130 is moved to the printing position where the next cross-sectional layer SL is to be printed. Accordingly, the second timing T2 may also be called the preparation timing. Meanwhile, the judgement unit 118b determines that the light source 112 is in the off state and the platform 130 is in the moving state, and outputs the control signal G to control the micromirror M to switch its state from the on state as shown in
On the other hand, refer to
Refer to
R=the time when the micromirror is in the on state/the time when the micromirror is in the off state (1)
0/100 and 100/0 respectively represent that the micromirror M is in the off state and the micromirror M is in the on state; 40/60 and 60/40 respectively represent that the time when the micromirror M is in the on state and the time when the micromirror M is in the off state are respectively 40:60 and 60:40; and other values may represent other time when the micromirror in the on state and other time when in the off state. Note that the working state time ratio R does not include the time when the micromirror M is in the flat state. Take point A in
Moreover, refer to both
Refer to
Refer to
Refer to
Refer to
Step S100: A projector is disposed. The projector includes a light source 112, a digital micromirror device 114, and a controller 118. The digital micromirror device 114 is disposed in the light path downstream of the light source 112, and the digital micromirror device 114 includes a micromirror M. The micromirror M may be switched between an on state and an off state according to a control signal G, the controller 118 is electrically connected to the digital micromirror device 114 and the light source 112, and the controller includes a judgement unit 118b. The judgement unit 118b may output the control signal G to switch the micromirror M of the digital micromirror device 114 to the off state when the light source 112 is in the off state and the platform 130 is in the moving state.
Step S200: A tank 120 is disposed in the light path downstream of the projector 110.
Step S300: A platform 130 is disposed and adjacent to the tank 120.
Based on the above, in the three-dimensional printer in the embodiments of the disclosure, the judgment unit in the controller may switch the on/off state of the micromirror in the duration when the light source is turned off and the platform is moving to adjust the ratio of the time when the micromirror in the digital micromirror device is in the on state to the time when the micromirror in the digital micromirror device is in the off state, so that both time tends to be same. Therefore, the hinge of the micromirror is less prone to memory effect, and the three-dimensional printer in the embodiments of the disclosure may have good manufacturing quality and good reliability. In addition, the embodiments in the disclosure further provide a manufacturing method for manufacturing the three-dimensional printer.
Claims
1. A manufacturing method for a three-dimensional printer, comprising:
- disposing a projector comprising a light source, a digital micromirror device, and a controller, wherein the digital micromirror device is disposed in a light path downstream of the light source, the digital micromirror device comprises a micromirror, the micromirror is switched between an on state and an off state according to a control signal, the controller is electrically connected to the digital micromirror device and the light source, the controller comprises a judgement unit, and the judgement unit is adapted to output the control signal to switch the micromirror of the digital micromirror device from previously the on state or the off state to another different state when the light source is in the off state;
- disposing a tank in the light path downstream of the projector; and
- disposing a platform to be adjacent to the tank.
2. A three-dimensional printer, comprising:
- a projector comprising:
- a light source;
- a digital micromirror device disposed in a light path downstream of the light source, and a micromirror on the digital micromirror device is switched between an on state and an off state according to a control signal; and
- a controller electrically connected to the digital micromirror device and the light source, the controller adapted to output the control signal to switch the micromirror of the digital micromirror device from previously the on state or the off state to another different state when judging the light source is turned off;
- a tank disposed in the light path downstream of the projector; and
- a platform disposed adjacent to the tank.
3. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 2, wherein when the light source is in the on state, the micromirror is controlled to be in the on state or the off state according to the control signal.
4. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 3, wherein when the light source is in the on state,
- if the micromirror is in the on state according to the control signal, a judgement unit outputs another control signal when the light source is in the off state to switch the micromirror to be in the off state, and
- if the micromirror is in the off state according to the control signal, the judgement unit outputs another control signal when the light source is in the off state to switch the micromirror to be in the on state.
5. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 2, wherein the controller further comprises a judgement unit.
6. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 2, wherein the projector further comprises a projection lens disposed in the light path downstream of the digital micromirror device.
7. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 2, wherein the tank is adapted to accommodate a photocurable material.
8. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 2, wherein the light source is an ultraviolet light source,
- and the controller comprises
- a judgement unit adapted to output a control signal when the ultraviolet light source is turned off, so as to switch the micromirror of the digital micromirror device from the on state or an off state to a different state.
9. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 8, wherein when the ultraviolet light source is turned off, the judgment unit outputs a control signal to periodically switch the on/off state of the micromirror.
10. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 9, wherein according to a duration of the on/off state of the micromirror when the ultraviolet light is turned on, the judgement unit determines a period of the on/off state of the micromirror when the ultraviolet light source is turned off.
11. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 8, wherein when the ultraviolet light source is turned off, the judgment unit outputs a control signal to randomly switch the on/off state of the micromirror.
12. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 8, wherein the three-dimensional printer further comprises a projection lens disposed in the light path downstream of the digital micromirror device.
13. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 8, wherein the tank is adapted to accommodate a photocurable material.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Mar 3, 2021
Date of Patent: Sep 26, 2023
Patent Publication Number: 20210283854
Assignee: Young Optics Inc. (Hsinchu)
Inventors: Chao-Shun Chen (Hsinchu), Jia-Bin Huang (Hsinchu), Kai-Yun Cheng (Hsinchu)
Primary Examiner: Joseph S Del Sole
Assistant Examiner: Lawrence D. Hohenbrink, Jr.
Application Number: 17/191,660
International Classification: B29C 64/393 (20170101); G05B 19/406 (20060101); B33Y 10/00 (20150101); B33Y 50/02 (20150101); B29C 64/129 (20170101); B29C 64/277 (20170101); B33Y 30/00 (20150101);